


Understand

by Melphis_Amekia



Category: Koe no Katachi
Genre: F/M, Fluff, for two people who deserve it so much, just a bit of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-05 06:38:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11008020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melphis_Amekia/pseuds/Melphis_Amekia
Summary: It was terrifying, even more terrifying than the first time, more terrifying than having to live without sound.Still, Shouko smiled widely.





	Understand

**Author's Note:**

> I watched this amazing, beautiful anime last night and I am still so overwhelmed with feelings about it, I cannot even express properly how much I love it and adore it and will cherish it forever. Also, Shouya and especially Shouko deserve everything in the world. I tried to give them a bit of that in this fic.

It was just another Tuesday evening, the half-moon visible on the horizon. Shouko was throwing the breadcrumbs in the water, watching the ripples they made each time they hit the surface. Shouya was right beside her, doing the same thing in almost complete silence. Even with the hearing aid, she could barely hear anything around her.

Everything was so silent.

Shouko didn’t know why, but the two of them were alone today. The others must have been too busy to come - she knew for sure Yuruzu had schoolwork she couldn’t afford to miss working on, and imagined the others had much the same problem. She didn’t mind. Being with Shouya, like this, was as peaceful and calming as the flow of the stream below them.

It was enough to forget about everything else but them two, right now, side by side. After everything that happened, that was more than alright for Shouko. Shouya was doing his best to stay and live, and she was doing the same thing.

There was a tug on her sleeve. Shouko turned towards Shouya, who had a small, but warm smile on his face.

„Hey, Nishima?” he asked, signing the words, as always. She simply looked at him questioningly.

„That day when you gave me those yard ornaments... I-I’ve been thinking about it a lot, lately.”

Shouko gasped. Shouya was talking about that day she confessed to him she liked him, but he hadn’t understood her. The frustration she felt that day was unlike anything she had experienced to date, so huge she could barely hide it. Not really at him for not understanding, but far more at herself for not being able to say it properly. She was just trying her best. Always.

„I realized soon after that I misunderstood you. I keep thinking of your words over and over and over again, and I know you wanted to say something else. It’s just... maybe I’m wrong, but...” he spoke, his eyes flickering from the ground back to her own eyes.

„Maybe you wanted to say: „I like you?””

No sooner did Shouya say that that his face turned as red as blood. He pulled at his hair, looking panicked and scared like a deer.

„Oh, what did I just say, why do I always say these weird things, please just disregard that, let’s pretend this never-”

Shouko cut him off there with the sign to stop. Everything suddenly felt lighter, warmer, as if someone or something gave this moment their blessing. His words made her giddy with joy and her face light up from warmth! Maybe he didn’t understand her then, but he seemed to understand now! Maybe she could assure him that, yes, he was thinking correct! Maybe this would be another step towards understanding each other!

Her eyes filled with tears and her body started to shake slightly. There it was, the perfect opportunity for Shouko to convey what she wanted to convey that time. It was terrifying, even more terrifying than the first time, more terrifying than having to live without sound.

Still, Shouko smiled widely.

„I...” she said aloud, pointing to herself, „ligg oou.” she pointed to him.

The way his face changed, as if in slow motion, from confusion to understanding to pure, unbridled joy - his dark green eyes full of warmth, his smile the most happy one Shouko had ever seen on him. It was so much different from his usual, downtrodden look, and Shouko couldn’t but love it even more.

To her complete surprise, Shouya hugged her, clinging to her tightly. Shouko gasped, not able to process what happened immediately. When she did, however, she hugged him back with the same fervor, tears flowing freely from her eyes. The hug was everything Shouko imagined it would be, warm and comfortable like blankets on a cold winter night, only much, much better. If only the world would let them stay like this forever...

Eventually, they separated from the hug, but Shouya stayed close to her, far closer than usual. He began to sign:

„I like you, too.” and leaned in, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Shouko almost couldn’t believe it happened, and even with the burning warmth right where he kissed it, she still put a hand to her face just to confirm 100% that he did kiss her. Now was Shouko’s turn to smile as bright as she possibly could, her head thinking only of Shouya and his kiss.

Shouko could see her smile reflected in his eyes, how happy they looked. It was so strong, so overwhelming, like a deep, fast river, she wasn’t even thinking when she stood on her tip-toes and kissed him on the lips.

It was a brief, chaste kiss. His lips were chapped, but still soft, still nice to the touch. Shouko wanted to kiss them again and again and again. But, she refrained, instead taking a step back from his astonished form, and signed:

„Shouya, I want to be with you forever.”

For a while, he couldn’t seem to process it. Soon, however, he regained back that smile that radiated happiness.

„Shouko... there is nothing I’d love more than that.” he signed, tears falling from his eyes now as well.

Maybe Shouko was deaf. Maybe it was hard to understand her, and hard for her to understand. Maybe even her best sometimes wasn’t enough.

But this here _was_ enough.

Shouko closed the distance between Shouya and her again, cleaned his face from tears with her hands, and kissed him again.


End file.
